Frankie Valli, Jackie Mason to perform in Worcester

Sunday

The original "Jersey Boy" and the self-proclaimed "Ultimate Jew" will appear on consecutive nights at the Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts in Worcester.

The original "Jersey Boy" and the self-proclaimed "Ultimate Jew" will appear on consecutive nights at the Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts in Worcester.

Aging like fine wine but still sparkling, Frankie Valli and Jackie Mason will perform their signature musical and comedic acts Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, in the restored 2,300-seat theater on Southbridge Street.

Appearing with the Four Seasons, the 74-year-old Valli, whose falsetto ode to "Sherry" topped the pop charts in 1962, will perform Tuesday, Sept. 23, at 7:30 p.m.

Bringing more than 50 years experience to the stage, Mason, a comic chameleon known for shooting from the hip, will perform Wednesday, Sept. 24, at 7:30 p.m.

"I consider it my moral obligation to be as funny as I can," he said in a recent telephone interview. "I hope the audience has a good time. By the end of the show, I hope they feel their money was well spent."

As of Thursday, Sept. 18, tickets were still available for both shows in the theater that has been restored to its former glory.

Mason's life has been as improbable as some of his standup routines.

Born Yacov Moshe Maza in Sheboygan, Wis., in 1936, he was ordained as a rabbi in 1961, resigned three years later to become a comedian, and spent the next five decades entertaining and outraging audiences with routines known for straying into sensitive cultural and political thickets.

Raised mostly in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, Mason described himself as a shy kid whose insatiable curiosity helped him make others laugh as a way to be popular.

"There was no design I was aware of. There was no calculation. I made observations about life and tried to make them funny. Little by little, I evolved into the kind of person I am today," he said. "The main thing that drove me into this business was that I was not so loved in my family."

According to Mason, a cuddly, needful child is hiding behind his show biz persona as a cynical, abrasive, inquisitive New Yorker.

"I like to be as relevant as what people talk about at the dinner table. I want (audiences) to laugh at what's affecting them at the time," he said. "My comedy doesn't depend on understanding the country's mood. I want to prove to myself I understanding what's happening."

While often regarded as a political humorist, Mason said it's hard today to wring laughter out of the war in Iraq, economic problems and fading hopes for change. "This administration today is getting nothing but boos," he said.

Asked if there was a common element shared by humorists of different stripes, Mason said, "Comedians and singers are always on ego trips."

"I don't see anything wrong with being an egomaniac. I need love and admiration like everyone else," he said. "When I was a rabbi, people told me the same thing. They said I should be a comedian."

Once on stage, Mason can be an equal opportunity satirist, using barbed quips to deflate presidents, politicians and celebrity publicity hounds who strike humanitarian poses while looking glamorous.

"Singers are always on ego trips, saying they're doing this or that to help others. Politicians are always saying they want to give back to the community. So why don't politicians volunteer in hospitals? How come you don't see singers delivering sandwiches to the poor," he said. "No matter what the tragedy, they're always giving a speech. They're hypocrites who use every trick in the world."

Mason and Valli join a formidable list of entertainment luminaries who've performed at the historic downtown theater since its mid-March reopening following a $31 million renovation. Some of the biggest names appearing so far in the Hanover's inaugural season include Bernadette Peters, Billy Ray Cyrus, David Copperfield and B.B. King.

After seesaw careers, Valli and Mason have been in the public eye over the last several years for different reasons.

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, Valli saw his meteoric rise to fame reprised in the Tony-award winning musical "Jersey Boys" which featured several of his biggest hits including "Sherry," "Walk Like a Man," "Big Girls Don't Cry" and "Rag Doll." Last year he released a 14-track album, "Romancing the '60s," showcasing a mix of old favorites and new tunes. In 2004, Valli joined the HBO hit show "The Sopranos" to play the role of a Mob boss released from prison.

Since first appearing on stage during the Eisenhower administration, Mason said audience's taste in humor remains constant.

Off staff, he said he was different from his public image as irascible and irreverent.

"I think I'm very thoughtful, considerate and compassionate. My character is very resilient," he said. "When I'm alone, I'm meditative. I'm as fascinated by the world today as when I was 12 years old."

Mason, who was voted one of the top 50 comedians of all time by fellow comics, said being funny doesn't require sophisticated techniques, just a fundamental understanding of human nature.

"I never had to learn anything special. Telling jokes to an audience is the same as having a conversation with people. An audience is no different from an individual," he said.

While public taste is fickle, Mason said many years on stage have taught him "comedy never changes."

"People laugh at the same things today as 100 years ago. They laugh at marriage jokes like they did 100 years ago. Their parents, their landlords, romance, obesity. It's all still funny," he said. "The world changes but the basic nature of what people find funny doesn't change."

Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons perform Tuesday, Sept. 23; tickets are $68-$88.

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